caymanbound

The good news is I found a great condo on Grand Cayman's SMB that had almost everything I was looking for. The bad news is it is really expensive to get there. So now I'm looking for a similar environment that is more affordable in airfare from the Denver area. Specifically, I'm looking for a high end condo or villa big enough for two families (8 people) on a really nice beach that is not crowded but not too secluded either. Nightlife is not a high priority but a moderate amount of daytime activities would be nice. ie. snorkeling, hiking, shopping, exploring, etc.. Half decent restaurants would be a good thing too. The real kicker is finding something that costs less than $500pp to get there from Denver. We are looking to travel at the beginning of April 05 and stay for about a week. Any suggestions would really be appreciated.

ejcrowe

It would seem to me that you'd get much better airfare from Denver to Mexico, specifically the Pacific coast or the Cabo areas. $500 per person is hard enough to find from many east coast departure points in April, never mind where you're coming from. If you could get two more people to travel with you, you would qualify for most airlines' group travel discount--10 people traveling together from a single departure point. Good luck!

caymanbound

ejcrowe: Thanks for the reply. You're right. Airfare to Mexico is cheaper but we really had our hearts set on one of the Caribbean islands. Maybe $500 is to much (little?) to expect but the Caymans are running $800+ right now and that is a hard pill to swallow when your paying for the whole family. I guess what I'm really trying to find out is what is the best compromise for the condo/villa vs price equation. I know that we can probably get into San Juan fairly economically but I don't know of any accomodations that fit what we are looking for in PR. What's our next best option?

ejcrowe

Well, I don't know about Denver, but Jamaica and Puerto Rico are the least expensive places for me to fly from Boston or Hartford ($300-400pp). It may be the case for you as well. If you think airfare is going to be your biggest obstacle, try setting up a fare watcher on sites like Travelocity or American Airlines--you'll be alerted when the price goes down, so maybe you can buy your airfare and then select your condo/villa afterwards.

What ameneties are you looking for in a condo/villa? Two places in Jamaica come to mind that represent good value. You can fly into Montego Bay for either one and then take a taxi for the remaining distance. Moon Dance Villas in Negril would put you in the lap of luxury near the main action but not directly in it. They are pricey, but you get a full staff, nice privacy, and meals fixed-to-order.

Another option that would be less money, but would put you in area much more secluded, would be staying at one of the big villas in the Treasure Beach area, which is the south coast of Jamaica. I really like the looks of Buccaneer Villa, whose website is www.treasurebeach.com (or possibly .net I can never remember. One is for the specific villa, the other site is for the Treasure Beach region in general, so they're both worth checking out.) Most of your requested daytime activities would be available from this region except shopping, but you could make a day trip to Negril for that. Not sure amount the number of restaurants in the area, but you could also have meals prepared for you in the villa. I think you can rent it either EP or AI. HOpe this helps, and no doubt you'll get info from other folks, too!

townclose

If I can recommend a great website for cheap airfare, go to www.bestfares.com

You need to become a member in order to buy airline tickets from them, but it's only about 50$ for a year and some of the deals are fabulous. the membership pays for itself if you take just one trip.